The Gujarat High Court on Monday refused to stay the conviction of BJP MP from Amreli Naran Kachhadiya, who is facing disqualification after he was sentenced to three years imprisonment last week for assaulting a Dalit doctor at a government hospital.

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Kachhadiya had approached the High Court through advocate Devang Vyas, who is also assistant solicitor general in the Gujarat High Court, seeking stay on the conviction till the disposal of his appeal, and also suspension of his sentence. The High Court allowed his suspension of sentence, granting him to remain on bail, but refused to stay the conviction.

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The BJP MP is facing disqualification from holding the membership of Lok Sabha. As per a Supreme Court ruling, convicted members of Parliament should be disqualified immediately.

However, senior counsel Nirupam Nanvati who argued for Kachhadiya said: “Though the MP is facing disqualification, it can be intervened by the Supreme Court if he approaches there.”

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A special court in Amreli had found Kachhadiya guilty of assaulting Dr Dhanji Dabhi at Civil Hospital in the district on January 1, 2013.
The court also held Kachhadiya’s driver Ramesh and three others — Kirit Vamja, Madhuben Joshi and her son Ravi Joshi — guilty of illegal assembly and sentenced them to six months of imprisonment.

According to details of the case, Madhuben Joshi, the then president of BJP women’s wing in Amreli, went to the government hospital on January 1, 2013 with her son Ravi who had been beaten up. Medical officer on duty Dr Dabhi had asked Joshi to wait since he was attending another patient.

However, Joshi called up Kachhadiya, who was sitting BJP MP then also. After Dabhi didn’t respond to the phone calls made by Kachhadiya, he rushed to the hospital and assaulted Dr Dabhi. An FIR was lodged against the MP under the SC and the ST (Prevention Of Atrocities) Act.